Count Tesla Motors Inc (ticker: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk as one executive who is taking a wait-and-see attitude toward President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, Musk replied to a tweet from The Economist to show encouragement for Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) CEO Rex Tillerson. Musk followed up with another tweet in support of a carbon tax, reports Fortune.
@TheEconomist This may sound surprising coming from me, but I agree with The Economist. Rex Tillerson has the potential to be an excellent Sec of State.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)
“This may sound surprising coming from me, but I agree with The Economist,” Musk says. “Rex Tillerson has the potential to be an excellent Sec of State.”
Rex Tillerson supports a carbon tax. This is what is really needed to move the needle. https://t.co/6ne01TOzs1
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)
Gizmodo asked Musk in a chat interview whether he thought a policy like a carbon tax would exist in Trump’s administration given the president’s statements that global warming is a “hoax.” Musk advocated for an approach that doesn’t involve “attacking” the president.
“This is something we need to strive for and the more voices of reason that the president hears, the better,” Musk said. “Simply attacking him will achieve nothing. Are you aware of a single case where Trump bowed to protests or media attacks? Better that there are open channels of communication.”
Musk added that Tillerson would be the best person to fight for such a tax. ” … [Tillerson] has publicly acknowledged for years that a carbon tax could make sense. There is no better person to push for that to become a reality than Tillerson.”
Musk, initially critical of Trump during his campaign, is a member of Trump’s strategic and policy forum of business leaders. Tesla shares shot up following his election, now up more than 17 percent on the year.
“When you look at the businesses Tesla is in, you see many areas of overlapping interest,” Adam Jonas, an automotive analyst at Morgan Stanley, told The New York Times (the overlap referring to the Trump administration). “To the extent the new administration prioritizes the creation of valuable, innovative high-tech and manufacturing jobs, Tesla stands at the epicenter of that.”
9 Ways to Invest Under President Donald Trump
7 Things That Happened When Donald Trump Met With Tech Leaders
More from U.S. News
The 9 Best ETFs to Buy Under President Donald Trump
7 Things That Happened When Donald Trump Met With Tech Leaders
11 Stocks That Donald Trump Loves
What Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk Is Saying About Donald Trump originally appeared on usnews.com
